Heater



Oct. 17, 1950 B. D. FIGG HEATER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed wa 25, 1946UUUDUUEIUFIUUEIDDUU IN VEN TOR.

B. D. FIGG HEATER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 23, 1946 8 0 7 2 0 I 22 J IM a v, q n 0 so o o 6 000.0 3 s O O 0 l 3 H I 60006 o o o a, 0 ve e mwe: I, ,5 3 /1 9 3 5 7 a 5 3 FIG 3 Mazda.

Patented Oct. 17, 1950 Y HEATER Basil D. Fi s, Lansing, Mich., assignorto Motor Wheel Corporation, Lansing, Mich a corporation of MichiganApplication May 23,

. 5 Claims. 1 This invention relates to heaters and more particularly tocirculating heaters having a forced air circulation.

"The'principal object of this invention is to provide a circulatingheater having a fan therein for circulating air and meansfor'distributing some of the air to points remote from the heater.Another object of the invention is to provide aheater of thischaracterhaving' an air duct with a fan therein forming a portion of thewall ofthe heater, that portion being movable relativeto the remainderof the heater to permit some radiation of heat directly from the heatexchanger.

' These objects will more fully appear in the following specificationwhen read in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a heater embodying the presentinvention;

Figure2 is a cross-sectional view taken on substantially the line 2-2 ofFigure l;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on substantiallythe line 3-3 ofFigure 1;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the heater with the top removed;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the heater;

Figure 6 is .a fragmentary front elevational view of a modified form ofthe invention; and

Figure 7' is a-fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on substantiallythe line of Figure 6.

Figures 1 to 5 show a circulating heater embodying one form of theinvention. The heater comprises an outer casing I formed of two uprightside walls I I and I2, a back wall I3, a front wall I4, a top wall I5,and a bottom wall or floor plate I6. Preferably these walls are allformed of sheet metal. Preferably the side wall I I is imperforate. Theside wall I2 is provided with'a plurality of louvers I 1 adjacent thebottom there: of. The top wall I is also provided with louvers I8. Thebottom wall I6 comprises a sheet metal plate having an opening I9therein for a purpose which will presently appear.

The front wall I4 of the heater has a relatively large rectangularopening 20 therein. The opening 20 is closed by a movable portion 60 ofa duct for circulating air. This duct ismade up of a front panel 2I anda rear panel 22 joined together by means of a perimetral wall 23. Theinterior of the duct is hollow. This movable portion of the duct ishinged to the front wall along one edge.

Adjacent the upper end of the duct is an air inlet opening 24 whichcommunicates with the interior of the casing I0. Near the bottom of theouter panel of the duct are a plurality of louvers 25. These louversprovide an outlet opening for 1946, Serial No. 611,744

air from the duct. The louvers may be adjusted in size or completelyclosed by means of a slidin closure plate 23.

A small centrifugal fan 27 is mounted with its 5 inlet end adjacent theinlet 24. The fan 21 is attached to a shaft 28 of a small electric motor29. The motor 29 is mounted on the outer panel 2| in any suitablemanner. 1

In the bottom portion of the perimetral wall 23 is another outletopening for air 30. This communicates with a fixed portion GI of theabove mentioned air duct in the front of the heater. The fixed portionof the air duct comprises a register box 3| having an opening 62 in itstop communicating with the opening 30 in the upper movable portion ofthe duct. A conduit 32 communicates with the register box 3i and extendsto the side wall I I of the outer casing. The side wall I I i providedwith an opening 63 registering 2 with the end of the conduit 32 remotefrom the register box. The last mentioned opening in side wall II issurrounded by a draw neck 32a. An.-

air duct may be connected to draw neck 32a to conduct air to a remotepart of the dwelling in 25 which the heater is located.

vWithin the casing I0 is a conventional heat exchanger which in itspresent form is shown as being a vaporizing type oil burner. 33 andacom- .bustion chamber 34 thereabove. The burner and 0 combustionchamber are mounted upon a sheet "metal base 35 which is provided withsmall openings 36v therein to admit air to the burner for combustion.The air for combustion passes into the space beneath the base 35 throughthe open- 35 ing I9 in the bottom wall of the heater and passes out ofthe combustion chamber 34 through an opening 64 at the top thereof whichis surrounded by a drawneck 65. A pipe (not shown) may be attached tothe drawneck 65 and extended through an opening '36 in the top wall I5of the casing and to a chimney.

Also mounted within the casing is a fuel tank 31 and an oil control 38.Fuel is fed to the burner throughatube 39.

5 Preferably one or more sheet metal shields Ml are mounted within thecasing between the tank 31 and fuel control 38 so as to shield thesefrom excessive heat of the heat exchanger.

The operation of the heater is for the most part self-evident. Air forcombustion is fed to the burner through the openings I9 and 36 and fuelis supplied to the burner from the fuel tank 31 through fuel control 38and pipe 39. Combustion within the heat exchanger heats the walls 61thereof, which in turn heat the air within the heater. Air is drawn inthrough the louvers I'l inthe side wall and rises out through thelouvers It in the top wall. as in a conventional circulating heater.When desired, however, the fan 24 can be operated, which will draw alarge proportion of air from near the top of the heat exchanger into theduct in the front wall and force the same out through the louvers 25 inthe front of the heater. If the louvers 25 are closed by the closureplate 26 the air will be forced down into the register box 3| and outthrough the conduit 32 into the associated air duct, if such isprovided.

In some instances, it is desirable to d pense with the forcedcirculation of air but provide a considerable amount of radiant heatfrom the heater. In that case, the upper, movable section of the duct inthe front wall can be swung open so that practically the entire front ofthe heat exchanger is exposed. In that case, a considerable quantity ofheat is radiated directly into .the room. Air is also circulated bygravity, in the usual way.

Figures 6 and 7 disclose a slightly modified form of the invention. Inthis case the upper movable portion of the duct in the front wall isprovided with an opening in its side adjacent the lower end. Thisopening is defined by a, drawneck 5|.

The opening in the bottom of the duct is dispensed with.

A register box 52, which may be of any suitable I cross-section, islocated in the lower front corner of the outer casing with its upper endabove the drawneck ii. The bottom and top ends of the register box areclosed and an outlet opening 53 is provided adjacent the lower end ofthe register box. This opening can be connected to a suitable airconduit.

The upper movable section of the duct is hinged to the front wall in themanner described in connection with the previous modification. When thupper section of the duct is moved to close the opening in the frontwall, the'drawneck 5! extends into the register box, and air from thepower blower in the duct is discharged into the register box and thenceinto the conduit at the side of the heater. When desired, the movablesection of the duct can be swung to its open position and a considerablequantity of heat will be radiated directly from the front of the heatexchanger.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention provides a novelform of air circulating heater in which provision is made for forcingair directly into the room in which the heater is loof said casing, saidmovable section having an inlet opening communicating with the interiorof the casing and an outlet opening communicating with the belowmentioned inlet opening of said fixed section, said fixedsection havingan outlet opening communicating with the exterior of the casing and aninlet opening communicating with the outlet opening of said movablesection only when the movable section is in closed position, a fan insaid air duct for circulating air therethrough. and a heat exchanger insaid casing.

2. Aheater as defined in claim I whereinsaid air duct extemk generallyvertically, and said inlet opening for the movable sectbn and theoutletopening for the fixed section are located adjacent the upper and lowerends of the ducts respectively.

3. A heater comprising an outer casing defined in part by upright walls,an air inlet in one of said upright walls, one of said'walls having arelatively large opening therein, an air duct associated with saidcasing, said air duct comprising a section in fixed relation to saidcasing adjacent the lower end of said opening and a generally verticalsection movable relative to said casing, said movable section forming aclosure for said opening and arranged so that the sections of said airduct communicate with one another only when said movable section isdisposed on said casing so as to close said opening, said movablesection opening in said air duct.

cated or to rooms remote'from the heater, or both. If desired, the powerblower unit can be swung to open position to permit radiant heat toescape from the heater.

The particular construction disclosed also has an advantage that onebuying such a heater can obtain the same with an ordinary flat plate asa closure for the opening in the front wall and use the heater solely asa circulating heater for a time, subsequently purchasing and installinga power blower.

The scope of the invention is indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A heater comprising an outer casing defined in part by upright walls,an air inlet in one of said upright walls, an air duct associated withsaid casing, said air duct comprising a sectionfixed within said casingand a section movable relative to said casing, said movable sec ion whenin closed position forming a portion of one of said walls and arrangedto be moved from said wall to open position to permit access to theinterior 5. A heater comprising an outer casing defined in part byupright walls, one of said walls having a relatively large openingtherein, an air duct in said casing. said air duct comprising a sectionfixed within said casing adjacent the lower end of said opening and asection. movable relative to said casing, said movable section forming aclosure for the opening in said wall, said movable duct section havingan inlet openin adiacent its upper end and communicating with theinterior of said casing and said fixed section having an outlet openingcommunicating with the exterior of said casing, said fixed and movablesections having openings therein spaced from said inlet and outletopenings and arranged to register when said movable section is disposedso as to close the first mentioned opening, and means on said fixedsection communicating with the exterior of said casing, a heat exchangerin said casing, and circulating means for circulating air through saidair duct.

BASIL D. FIGG. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordin the me of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,228,201 Cotes et al Jan. '7,1941 2,330,938 Williams Oct. 5, 1943

